CorpComms Magazine

Almost sixteen per cent of the potential new intake of 242 MPs in next year's general election will have a background in corporate communications, according to new research.

At least 38 new MPs elected next year will have worked in a corporate communications discipline, ranging from public affairs to financial PR to corporate social responsibility.

The Class of 2010 report, compiled by communications consultancy Madano Partnership, suggests that the next generation of MPs are more likely to have a communications background than any other career.

The study is a detailed analysis of 242 parliamentary candidates who have a good chance of becoming MPs at the next election. It draws on target seat data from Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, professors at University of Plymouth, which identifies those most likely to change hands at the next election.

The results are based on a seven per cent swing to the Conservatives, which would create only a small nominal majority of up to 15 seats for party leader David Cameron. But the election will represent the biggest shake up of the UK Parliament since Labour's landslide victory in 1997.

Of the 38 likely MPs with communications backgrounds, the vast majority - 27 - are standing for the Conservative party. Just six are destined to become Labour MPs while five are prospective Liberal Democrat MPs.

Among them is Ben Gummer whose sister Cordelia was fed a burger by their father, then Agriculture Minister John Gummer, to prove that beef was safe. He is operations director of corporate responsibility consultancy Sancroft. Geraint Davies, who once worked as a marketing manager for Palmolive, served as an MP for Croydon Central between 1997 and 2005. He is standing again.

Sixteen of the potential MPs are women, including former television broadcaster Esther McVey and Ugandan born Priti Patel, former deputy press secretary for William Hague who now works as a public affairs consultant at Weber Shandwick. Multimillionaire Margot James founded health and pharmaceutical company, Shire Health Group, which she sold to WPP in 1999, while Laura Sandys set up her first business by the age of 19. She has since sold two consultancies specialising in campaigning, communications and marketing.

One third have a public affairs background. Indeed, only one of the prospective Liberal Democrat MPs has not worked in public affairs while the majority of Labour candidates have done so.

share me: del.icio.us | digg | reddit